Open Ended Bi-Fold Money Wallet

ABSTRACT

An open ended bi-fold money wallet allows easier viewing and access to the contents of the wallet by having one lateral end of the wallet opened instead of sealed. A radio frequency identification blocking interior liner protects credit card information from being stolen.

The current application claims a priority to the U.S. Provisional Patent application Ser. No. 61/912,076 filed on Dec. 5, 2013.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to money storage. More particularly, the present invention is an open ended wallet.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Money is an object or verifiable record that is generally accepted as payment for goods and services and repayment of debts. Money is historically an emergent market phenomenon establishing a commodity money, but nearly all contemporary money systems are based on fiat money. Fiat money, like any check or note of debt, is without intrinsic use value as a physical commodity. It derives its value by being declared by a government to be legal tender; that is, it must be accepted as a form of payment within the boundaries of the country, for all debts, public and private. Such laws in practice cause fiat money to acquire the value of any of the goods and services that it may be traded for within the nation that uses it. The money supply of a country consists of currency—banknotes and coins, and usually also comprises bank money, or the balance held in checking accounts and savings accounts. In modern banking, bank money is mostly computerized, and transactions can be carried out using a credit card.

In order for individuals to use their money in a brick and mortar store or other physical transaction scenario, the money must usually be transported to the physical site of the transaction in order to be exchanged for a desired good or service. This can be done in several ways, such as carrying the money by itself in a clothes pocket on one's person, in a purse, pouch or other type of bag, or by storing the money within a wallet, which is the most common option.

A wallet, or billfold, is a small, substantially flat case that is used to carry personal items such as cash, credit cards, identification documents, photographs, gift cards, business cards, and other paper or laminated cards. Wallets are generally made with leather or fabrics, and are usually pocket-sized and usually, but not always, foldable. A typical configuration for a wallet is a bi-fold wallet, where bank notes contained within the wallet are folded over once. One problem in using a bi-fold wallet is that the contents of the wallet are not easily viewable and often cannot be accessed easily. If bills contained within the wallet are old and worn out, it becomes particularly difficult to place or remove the worn bills into and out of the wallet, especially if the wallet contains a large amount of bills, removing the majority of space within the wallet within which the user's fingers can manipulate the contents of the wallet.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a wallet which can be more easily opened to view the contents within, and with which bills are more easily placed and removed into and from the wallet.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an elevated perspective view of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a top view of the present invention.

DETAIL DESCRIPTIONS OF THE INVENTION

All illustrations of the drawings are for the purpose of describing selected versions of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. The present invention is to be described in detail and is provided in a manner that establishes a thorough understanding of the present invention. There may be aspects of the present invention that may be practiced without the implementation of some features as they are described. It should be understood that some details have not been described in detail in order to not unnecessarily obscure focus of the invention.

The present invention is an open ended bi-fold money wallet. The present invention seeks to improve upon existing bi-fold money wallets by having one lateral end of the wallet opened, allowing the user to view the contents of the wallet and manipulate bills into and out of the wallet much more easily compared to the existing bi-fold money wallet design, which has both lateral ends sealed so that bills can only be viewed and placed into or retrieved from the wallet from one direction, through the top opening 5.

Referring to FIGS. 1-2, the present invention generally comprises a first flexible panel 1 and a second flexible panel 2, which form the walls of the present invention. The first flexible panel 1 and the second flexible panel 2 are oriented generally parallel to each other and layered adjacent to each other, such that the perimeter of the first flexible panel 1 and the perimeter of the second flexible panel 2 appear to be coincident with each other when the present invention is viewed perpendicularly to the first flexible panel 1 or the second flexible panel 2. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the first flexible panel 1 and the second flexible panel 2 are rectangular in shape.

The first flexible panel 1 and the second flexible panel 2 are connected to each other by a side seam 3 and a bottom seam 4. The side seam 3 and the bottom seam 4 are oriented perpendicular to each other and positioned adjacent to each other, wherein the side seam 3 and the bottom seam 4 form a angle substantially close to 90 degrees. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the side seam 3 and the bottom seam 4 are created by stitching portions of the perimeters of the first flexible panel 1 and the second flexible panel 2 together, though in alternate embodiments the side seam 3 and the bottom seam 4 may be formed by alternate means of connecting the edges of the first flexible panel 1 and the second flexible panel 2 together, such as, but not limited to, crimping, stapling, melting, or any other appropriate and useful means of connecting abutting portions of the first flexible panel 1 and the second flexible panel 2.

An interior pocket 7 is defined between the first flexible panel 1 and the second flexible panel 2. The interior pocket 7 is where bills, cards or other items are placed for transport.

The first flexible panel 1 and the second flexible panel 2 are able to be opened away from each other to reveal the interior pocket 7 by pressing the first flexible panel 1 and the second flexible panel 2 away from each other, while the side seam 3 and the bottom seam 4 maintain the first flexible panel 1 and the second flexible panel 2 being connected to each other.

A side opening 6 is positioned opposite the side seam 3 along the interior pocket 7, and a top opening 5 is positioned opposite the bottom seam 4 along the interior pocket 7. The side opening 6 and the top opening 5 are spaces created between the perimeters of the first flexible panel 1 and the second flexible panel 2 when the first flexible panel 1 and the second flexible panel 2 are pried away from each other in order to view or manipulate the contents of the interior pocket 7. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the side opening 6 is oriented perpendicular to the bottom seam 4, and the side opening 6 is positioned adjacent to the bottom seam 4 opposite the side seam 3. The top opening 5 is oriented perpendicular to the side seam 3 and the side opening 6, and the top opening 5 is positioned adjacent to the side seam 3 and the side opening 6 opposite the bottom seam 4.

The side seam 3, the bottom seam 4, the side opening 6, the top opening 5, the first flexible panel 1 and the second flexible panel 2 define a boundary for the interior pocket 7, with the side seam 3, the bottom seam 4, the side opening 6 and the top opening 5 defining the perimeter of the interior pocket 7. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the first flexible panel 1 and the second flexible panel 2 are each foldable about a central fold 8, wherein the first flexible panel 1 and the second flexible panel 2 are symmetric about the central fold 8. The central fold 8 facilitates the bi-fold functionality of the present invention, so that a user may fold the present invention into a smaller form which is more convenient for storage within a pocket. The central fold 8 may be an additional component of the first flexible panel 1 and the second flexible panel 2, or the central fold 8 may simply be a portion of the first flexible panel 1 and the second flexible panel 2 which is formed in a way that facilitates the folding functionality.

The preferred embodiment of the present invention further comprises an interior liner 9. The interior liner 9 is positioned within the first flexible panel 1, which is herein defined as the portion of the present invention which is visible when the present invention is folded about the central fold 8, or the outside wall of the present invention. The interior liner 9 is made of radio frequency identification (RFID) blocking material, and is intended to block potential passing thieves from stealing credit card information from credit cards or other relevant devices carried within the interior pocket 7. In alternate embodiments of the present invention, the interior liner 9 may be made of any material which is capable of protecting credit cards or any other electronic device contained within the present invention from any sort of radiation or electromagnetic scanning, interference, or information theft, as evolving technology allows. To provide maximum protection, the perimeter of the interior liner 9 should be positioned adjacent to the perimeter of the first flexible panel 1; in other words, the interior liner 9 surrounds the interior pocket 7 as much as the geometric limitations of the first flexible panel 1 allow. The interior liner 9 may be natural or synthetic, but should be thin, strong, durable and flexible to resist wear, breakage or creasing to protect the integrity of the interior liner 9. The interior liner 9 may be glued or sewn into the first flexible panel 1, or another relevant and useful means may be used to affix the interior liner 9 within the first flexible panel 1.

As seen in FIG. 1, the present invention may also comprise additional pockets or slots on the second flexible panel 2 opposite the interior pocket 7 which may hold credit cards, business cards or other similarly sized items. Flip-up multiple-pocket card holders, inserts or windows may also be comprised if desired.

Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed. 

1. An open ended bi-fold money wallet comprises: a first flexible panel and a second flexible panel; a side seam; a bottom seam; a top opening; a side opening; a interior liner; the first flexible panel and the second flexible panel being oriented parallel to each other; the first flexible panel and the second flexible panel being connected to each other by the side seam and the bottom seam; the side seam and the bottom seam being oriented perpendicular to each other; the side seam and the bottom seam being positioned adjacent to each other, wherein the side seam and the bottom seam form a right angle; an interior pocket being defined between the first flexible panel and the second flexible panel; the side opening being positioned opposite the side seam along the interior pocket; and the top opening being positioned opposite the bottom seam along the interior pocket; the first flexible panel and the second flexible panel being rectangular in shape; the first flexible panel and the second flexible panel each being foldable about a central fold; the first flexible panel and the second flexible panel are symmetric about the central fold; the side opening being oriented perpendicular to the bottom seam; and the top opening being oriented perpendicular to the side seam.
 2. (canceled)
 3. (canceled)
 4. (canceled)
 5. The open ended bi-fold money wallet as claimed in claim 1 comprises: the side opening being positioned adjacent to the bottom seam opposite the side seam.
 6. (canceled)
 7. The open ended bi-fold money wallet as claimed in claim 1 comprises: the top opening being positioned adjacent to the side seam opposite the bottom seam.
 8. (canceled)
 9. (canceled)
 10. The open ended bi-fold money wallet as claimed in claim 1 comprises: the side seam, the bottom seam, the side opening, the top opening, the first flexible panel and the second flexible panel defining a boundary for the interior pocket, wherein the side seam, the bottom seam, the side opening, and the top opening define the perimeter of the interior pocket.
 11. The open ended bi-fold money wallet as claimed in claim 10 comprises: the perimeter of the interior liner being positioned adjacent to the perimeter of the first flexible panel.
 12. The open ended bi-fold money wallet as claimed in claim 10 comprises: the interior liner being made of radio frequency identification (RFID) blocking material. 